US’ Rubio says Ukraine interceptors may not have been delivered, but not for political reasons
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking in Mumbai, India, on Oct 20.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Rubio said some Ukraine interceptors bought under the PURL programme may not have been delivered, but there was no “deliberate political directive” to harm Ukraine.
- He said he spoke with Zelensky for 45 minutes about missile interceptors, early warning of Russian attacks, and restoring Starlink and Starshield services.
- Reuters said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had not yet authorised the latest PURL weapons package, amid strained US-Ukraine ties and reports of delays tied to pressure on Kyiv.
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MUMBAI – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged on Oct 20 that a batch of interceptors purchased for Ukraine under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme may not have been delivered, but that this was not because of any political intent.
“I think the important takeaway is that there has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine,” he told journalists as he kicked off his India trip.
“There’s nothing being deliberately denied to Ukraine,” he added.
Rubio said he had a 45-minute conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct 20.
Zelensky said the topics included ballistic missile interceptors, early warning of Russian attacks and the situation with Starlink and Starshield satellite services, which the Ukrainian leader said needed to be restored.
The comments come as Reuters earlier reported that US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth had yet to authorise the delivery of the latest package of US weaponry purchased by NATO allies under PURL.
Zelensky had also said the Pentagon had delayed the delivery of missiles under the programme, as relations between Kyiv and Washington had deteriorated in October as US President Donald Trump courted Moscow.
Reuters reported that the US had threatened to stop the PURL mechanism to press Kyiv to halt its deep strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, as Trump announced a Ukraine energy ceasefire with Russia. REUTERS